_Lisa’s POV_ 

The engine rumbled beneath us. It was a steady low growl that felt strange after the chaos of the fortress. I sat wedged between Rylan and Kael. My pulse was still racing and my hands were trembling in my lap. 

I couldn’t believe what had just happened. 

Kael had come for me. 

Kael; the same man who had once rejected me, who had made it clear I was nothing to him, had risked his life to save mine. I kept replaying it in my mind: the way he had cut me free and the way his voice had cracked when he said I told you I would always come for you. 

I hadn’t expected it. Not from him. Not after everything. 

My throat felt tight. I glanced sideways. 

Rylan leaned against the seat. He was. pale and exhausted. His head rested back, but his eyes were half–open. He was scanning the window as if expecting an ambush even now. I reached out without thinking and touched his arm. 

“Are you okay?” My voice was soft. 

His eyes flicked to me. “I’ll be fine,” he murmured, though his voice was hoarse. 

Before he could say more, Kael’s deep voice cut in from my other side. “He will be fine.” The way he said it was clipped, almost sharp, as if my concern for Rylan was somehow an 

offense. 

I turned my head and caught the muscle ticking in Kael’s jaw. His silver eyes didn’t leave the road ahead, even though he wasn’t driving. But his hand, resting on his thigh, was curled into 

a fist. 

Sierra, my wolf’s voice whispered in my head, he’s jealous. 

No, he’s just worried about Rylan, I told her, though I wasn’t sure I believed it. 

Worried? Sierra’s voice was laced with amusement. That’s not worry, Lisa. That’s him not liking you touching another man. 

I didn’t answer. My chest felt too tight. 

From the front seat, the old woman who was named Morana turned slightly. Her hair was 

1.4 

silver–white, braided back from her lined face. She hadn’t spoken much during the rescue, but her presence was heavy, as if she carried centuries of knowledge with her. 

Her gaze met mine. Her eyes were sharp despite her age. “I did not expect Althea’s daughter to still be alive.” 

The name hit me like a sudden slap. My breath caught. “You… you knew my mom?” 

The woman nodded slowly. Her eyes softened. “Yes. Althea was a good friend of mine.” 

leaned forward slightly. My heart was hammering in my chest. “What was she like?” 

She sighed, and something like guilt flickered in her eyes. “She was kind, cheerful and full of life. A light in a very dark world. And I…” Her voice trailed off for a moment before she went on. “I still feel guilty I couldn’t save her. I thought, all these years, that you were gone too. That you had died in the fire your father set.” 

I froze. The fire? “My… my father?” I repeated, my voice barely a whisper. 

“Fenric is such a cruel man. He wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice his own child for power.” 

Her words sent a chill through me. My.fingers tightened in my lap. “Fenric said… he said he was my father. But I thought….” My throat closed. “I thought Aaron was my dad.” 

Morana turned her head slightly, her dark eyes meeting mine in the dim glow of the dashboard lights. “No, Lisa. Aaron was Althea’s true mate. But Fenric…” Her mouth twisted.” Fenric deceived and manipulated her. It was a cruel trick, one that changed everything.” 

I felt sick. “So Aaron… he’s not my father?” 

She shook her head. “No. Fenric is. And there’s more you need to understand.” 

The car’s interior felt suddenly too small. The air was heavy. I couldn’t seem to catch my breath. “Why would he lie to her? Why… why would he…” My words trailed off because I didn’t know how to finish them. 

Morana’s voice softened, though it still carried weight. “I remember now. I have Althea’s diary somewhere. I’ll find it for you. When you read it, you’ll understand more about what happened.” 

My throat felt raw. “What was she like… before him?” 

“She was a very nice young woman,” Morana said quietly. “She was kind and always laughing. She loved life. But she had the bad luck of meeting Fenric. He turned her life into a nightmare. 

” 

Sierra’s voice was a growl in my mind. He’s a monster. He deserves to die for what he did to her. 

I pressed my lips together. My stomach twisted. 

“But who is he?” I asked finally, my voice shaking. “He has all these powers… who is he really?” 

Morana leaned back in her seat, as if settling into a story she didn’t want to tell but knew she must. “Fenric was once the most powerful warlock of the Veylor Coven. He led them with strength….and greed. It wasn’t enough for him to be feared; he wanted more. More power. More control. So he made a pact with a demon god.” 

Her voice dropped lower. “The demon deceived him. Instead of giving him eternal power, it cursed him and the entire coven. Their powers began to weaken. Their bloodline was tainted. With each generation, the curse drains them further.” 

…. 

I shivered, imagining it. “And… the curse is still there?” 

“Yes,” Morana said. “That is why he needs you. To end it.” 

My breath hitched. “Why me?” 

Her eyes met mine. “Because you are his and Althea’s daughter. And the only way to break the curse… is to sacrifice you.” 

The words landed like a physical blow. My heart thudded painfully against my ribs. 

Lisa. Sierra’s voice was urgent. We can’t let him take you again….ever. 

I know. 

But even knowing it, I couldn’t shake the chill that had settled into my bones. “He… he would really kill me? His own child?” 

Morana’s mouth tightened. “Fenric does not see you as a daughter. He sees you as a means to power.” 

I stared at her. I was trying to process the weight of it all. “But he doesn’t even look old enough to be my father.” 

“That’s because warlocks live longer than wolves,” she explained. “They age slowly. They can walk through centuries while we wither in decades.” 

I leaned back against the seat. My mind was spinning. Everything I thought I knew about my life, about my family, was shifting beneath my feet like unstable ground. 

I became aware of Kael beside me again. His arm pressed lightly against mine. He hadn’t said anything since Morana started speaking, but I could feel the tension rolling off him in 

waves. 

I glanced at him. His gaze was fixed out the window. His jaw was still clenched. But I knew he was listening to every word. 

Rylan shifted slightly on my other side. His head tipped toward mine. “We’ll figure this out,” he said quietly. “You’re safe now.” 

Before I could answer, Kael’s voice cut in, low and firm. “She’s safe because I got her out.” 

The air between them seemed to crackle. I looked from one to the other. My heart was thudding faster for a different reason now. 

Sierra’s voice was sly in my head. They’re both ready to fight over you. 

Not the time, I told her, though heat crept into my cheeks. 

Morana’s gaze lingered on me. “There’s more in Althea’s diary,” she said. “Things you need to know before you face him again. But for now, rest. You’ve been through enough for one night. 

Rest. The word felt almost laughable. How could I rest when everything I had just learned was tearing at me from the inside? 

The road stretched out ahead. It was dark and endless. And somewhere out there, Fenric was 

still alive…. and he knew I had escaped. 

But now, I also knew the truth. 

And that truth was both a weapon… and a curse.